At Alleima's Annual General Meeting in Sandviken, the Innovation Prize 2025 was awarded to Thomas Froböse, Chief Technology Officer, and Haydn Eagle, Sales Manager, both from business unit Specialized in the Tube division. They received the prize for their exceptional contribution to a critical component in the steering module of a space application. The component for a rocket exemplifies outstanding innovation and engineering excellence as the material had to withstand very high temperatures in combination with high pressure.
During Alleima's third annual general meeting in Sandviken, Thomas Froböse and Haydn Eagle were awarded the Innovation Prize. Together they have led the work to develop a critical component for a major player in the space industry and a leader in Europe. They contacted Alleima when they were looking for help from someone with access to the entire value chain from melting the steel to manufacturing a finished product. In combining Alleima’s material knowledge with bespoke design and process engineering competence, the final compact design offers much valued, weight saving benefits to Ariane.
Through close cooperation with the customer and using various technical solutions, they were able to solve the critical challenges. The project used tubes from Alleima's factory in Sandviken, Sweden, Alleima alloy 625 seamless tubes and bars. They also used Titanium Grade 9 from Alleima's factory in Kennewick in the US and cold-worked tubes in Alleima alloy 625 from Werther in Germany.
“One of the main challenges for the space industry is facing is weight savings. Every gram costs a lot of money when the rocket is launched. Therefore, we worked very closely with our customer to develop a design that reduced the amount of material and the amount of metal in the final product,” says Haydn Eagle.
“The challenges turned out to be an opportunity for us. The material used needed to withstand extreme conditions with very high temperatures combined with high pressure. We are very proud that our Alleima team was able to solve this problem and also thankful to our customer and their close collaboration with us through the project. After this first delivery to the customer, we have continued our collaboration with new design work and modules. This has also led to new collaborations with other products and partners in the space industry,” says Thomas Froböse.
The motivation said:
“The Alleima Innovation Prize 2025 is awarded to Thomas Froböse, and Haydn Eagle, for their exceptional contribution to a critical component in the end customer's steering module of the application. This embodies Alleima's commitment to excellence and innovation, going beyond conventional tubes. Despite its small size, the alloy 625 component plays a crucial role in the rocket's successful operation. Through careful planning and innovative design, their expertise enabled the creation of a solution, which is essential to the project's success. Launched by the end customer in January 2025, the component exemplifies outstanding innovation and engineering excellence, significantly advancing our capabilities in aerospace technology and paving the way for future innovations.”
“This year's winners exemplify Alleima's unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. Through their exceptional expertise and collaborative teamwork, they have demonstrated outstanding innovation and engineering excellence, proving their dedication to customer satisfaction and remarkable performance,” says Göran Björkman, President and CEO at Alleima.
“This year's winners have demonstrated exceptional creativity and technical skills, driving significant advancements in our aerospace technology. Their contributions enhance our current capabilities and lay a strong foundation for future innovations,” says Tom Eriksson, EVP & Head of Strategic Research.
Sandviken, April 29, 2025
Alleima AB (publ).
Contact details
Yvonne Edenholm, Press and Media Relations Manager
yvonne.edenholm@alleima.com
Phone: +46 (0) 72 145 23 42
About Alleima
Alleima, is a global manufacturer of high value-added products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys as well as solutions for industrial heating. Based on long-term customer partnerships and leading materials technology, we develop products for the most demanding applications and industries. Our offering includes products like seamless steel tubes for the energy, chemical and aerospace industries, precision strip steel for white goods compressors, air conditioners and knife applications, based on more than 900 active alloy recipes. It also includes ultra-fine wires for medical and micro-electronic devices, industrial electric heating technology and coated strip steel for fuel cell technology for cars, trucks, and hydrogen production. Our fully integrated value chain, from R&D to end-product, ensures industry-leading technology, quality, sustainability, and circularity. Alleima, with headquarter in Sandviken, Sweden, had approximately 6,500 employees and revenues of about 20 billion SEK in about 80 countries in 2024. The Alleima share was listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s Large Cap list on August 31, 2022 under the ticker ‘ALLEI’. Learn more at www.alleima.com.